Hit-or-Miss
Hit-or-miss is a surfacing specification where lumber is run through a planer set to skim the surface without guaranteeing full coverage. Some areas will be smooth (hit) while others retain the rough-sawn texture (miss). It is used to bring lumber close to dimension or to reveal the wood's character without committing to a full surfacing pass.
In-Depth Explanation
Hit-or-miss surfacing is essentially the same concept as skip dressing — the planer is set to a depth that contacts the high spots of the board but doesn't reach the low spots, resulting in a mixture of smooth and rough areas on the same face. The term is used somewhat interchangeably with skip dressed in the trade. Hit-or-miss is a practical compromise for several situations: it allows rough-sawn lumber to be quickly evaluated for color and figure, it brings boards approximately to thickness before finish milling, and it provides a distinctive look for rustic or reclaimed-style applications. Some barn wood and reclaimed lumber is sold hit-or-miss surfaced, cleaning up the face enough to stabilize the surface while retaining the weathered character. In hardwood grading, hit-or-miss surfacing is not considered full surfacing, so the buyer should expect to remove additional material when final milling.
Usage Example
The reclaimed wood dealer ran the antique barn boards hit-or-miss through the planer, removing just enough surface to reveal the rich patina underneath.